OMAHA, Neb. (May 5, 2008)
– At the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder
meeting in Omaha on Saturday, May 3, the
company was pressed on whether its
television advertising dollars reflect
its corporate values. Father Val Peter,
executive
director emeritus of Boys Town, spoke on
behalf of the Parents Television
Council™
urging Berkshire Hathaway to reconsider
placing GEICO brand advertisements on
shows like “Dirt” and “The Sopranos.”
The following are excerpts from his
statement:

“I am addressing this meeting
because Berkshire Hathaway consistently
advertises on programming that contains
graphic violence, excessive sexual
content and foul language and to urge
you to stop such advertising. Each
year, our analysts release our ranking
of best and worst advertisers with
Berkshire Hathaway scoring near the
bottom at 444 out of 452 national
advertisers.

“Mr. Buffet you are
clearly a philanthropic leader,
committing to donate most of your
fortune to charity. Your commitment to
world health and improving education in
the U.S. has helped millions around the
world. Surely, you understand how
Berkshire Hathaway’s irresponsibility in
the media marketplace can undermine your
good works.

“It is a shame that
Berkshire Hathaway cannot demonstrate
leadership as a responsible corporate
citizen because it consistently
advertises on some of the most violent
and vulgar programming on television.
It appears to us at the Parents
Television Council that Berkshire
Hathaway does not have media guidelines
in place to keep its name off of
programs containing graphic and explicit
content.

“Over the past year,
Berkshire Hathaway has sponsored such
shows as ‘Dirt’ and ‘The Sopranos’ on
A&E. Unsuitable content such as
masturbation, self-mutilation, racism,
extreme violence and drug use is a
regular occurrence on shows such as
these. The PTC’s message to Berkshire
Hathaway is this – your advertising
dollars reflect your corporate values.
We question whether the Board of
Directors or the shareholders would be
proud of these programs your media
dollars support.

“Will Berkshire Hathaway
continue paying for the destructive
programming that is broadcast into our
homes on a nightly basis? Or, will it
be a responsible corporate citizen and
dedicate its advertising dollars toward
sponsoring family-friendly programming?

“The Parents Television
Council would like your response to this
question by June 1 so that we may let
our 1.2 million members know whether or
not Berkshire Hathaway is dedicated to
responsible advertising. I hope that I
will be able to report that Berkshire
Hathaway is adopting advertising
guidelines that reflect pro-family
corporate values.”

After the meeting, Father
Val Peter was invited to discuss the
issue further with GEICO CEO
Tony Nicely.

To speak with a representative
from the Parents Television Council, please contact Kelly Oliver
(ext. 140) or Megan Franko (ext. 148) at (703) 683-5004.

The Parents Television Council™ (www.parentstv.org®)
is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment.
It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence
and profanity on television and in other media. This national
grassroots organization has more than 1.3 million members across the
United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters,
networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and
negative messages targeted to children. The PTC also works with
elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast
decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical
research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex,
violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is
provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices
for their own families.

Parents Television Council,
www.parentstv.org, PTC,
Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The
nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting
children against sex, violence and profanity in
entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval,
and Family Guide to Prime Time Television
are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.